Marc dubreuil
Hello,
First of all: great job, it looks kick ass. Second, I would like to be sure of one thing: since this game is coming to a console (PS2), are you planing to lower it strategic-wise (most of the time, when a company ports a game to a console, they make it way to easy by removing a lot of options that made the game deep)? Also, since a PS2 is limited compared to a PC (textures wise, memory, etc), will the two versions be very different? Still turn-based right? Are you doing the PS2 and the PC version at the same time (or are you working on the PS2 the you will work on the PC version)? I ask that because there is no way that I'm gonna buy a PS2 just to play your game (or a X-box just to play Halo :) )

Keep up the good work
Marc

There is no compromise on gameplay as far as the PS2 is concerned. There will be a fixed tutorial section which takes the player through all the aspects of the game, but this is optional. The PS2 is limited on memory compared to the PC but the two versions will look similar. We are working on the PS2 version first because this is the most difficult to do - the requirements are much more stringent in terms of memory usage and frame rate. Then we will build the PC engine and interface.

Julian Gollop

Robert Grant
With all the RTS, and TBS(turn based strategy) games that have come out recently, and the majority of them now being Fully 3D. I have noticed Certain Games Excel with the camera angles and others fail miserably, in some cases ruining the game out right. Can you define how the camera angles will be adjusted in the game?

I hope that it will be far from games like StarShip Troopers and Force Commander, where the camera movement is very limited. I am trusting you will have it more Like Ground Control or Homeworld. There is also one other view but it would kill the game, Static Isometric.

Also, will buildings Fade when a trooper is behind a wall and the camera is obscured? OR will the camera have to readjust for that?

Thanx,
Grappler

There will be two main camera views - first person for each soldier, and a roving third person camera that looks down on the battlefield. We have experimented with a transparent roof effect to show soldiers and details inside buildings, and it looks good. There will also be independent cinematic camera views of the action for dramatic effect.

Julian Gollop

Johnny Fugate
When do you think the release date will be?

It will be early 2002 for both the PS2 and PC versions.

Julian Gollop

Fredrik Lindblom
Hi! Yours truly being mainly a PC gamer, I was wondering:
Will the PC version feel and play like a PC game (i.e. full mouse support, drag-and-drop inventory items, configurable keyboard shortcuts, different screen resolutions, smaller fonts and icons, more detailed textures, etc.) or will it be obvious that it's ported from the PS2?
Looking forward to Dreamland! Very, very much! :)
Cheers!

Fredrik

The PC version will have its own interface which will look and work differently to the PS2 version, including all the things you have mentioned.

Julian Gollop

Fihnakis
Just a few questions from me, Will our troops have personalities / traits that are unique to each character or will each character have random traits (strength, intelligence, etc) and share from the same voice pool as all other characters in the game?

How big will the largest combat area be and will the size of combat areas vary in size?

How many hours (rough guesstimate) of gameplay can we expect to get out of TDC or will this depend entirely on how quickly the player wants to progress (i.e. if someone just blasts right through it may only take 40 hrs but if someone wanted to take it real slow it may take over 200 hrs)?

Will there be the ability to kneel, crawl (go prone), select different firing rates (semi / auto fire) for weapons that support this, target specific body areas (head, torso, leg), climb on top of rooftops and even become affected by fatigue, morale and the environment (wading through water)?

How quick / easy will it be for players of Jagged Alliance or similar type turn-based strategy games be able to pick up on the combat system used in the game?

Hopefully these all made sense and I look forward to your responses.

Thank You,
Fihnakis
TerranHQ

Soldiers are defined quite simply with a set of 8 randomly generated characteristics - speed, health, strength, accuracy, reactions, bravery, leadership and psi-skill. These can be improved for each soldier, but each soldier ahs different maximum limits. Some can be poor, but have great potential, whereas others can be highly skilled but near the limit of their capability.

The combat areas are not huge, varying between 100m square to 150 metres square.

Dreamland can be completed more quickly on the easiest difficulty setting ( around 30 hours gameplay) but will take longer on the higher difficulty settings.

Soldiers can run, walk, crouch, crawl, jump, climb, and sidestep. Different firing rates are possible for each of the weapons, either automatic, burst, or single shot, any of which can be aimed or snapshot. Specific body areas can be targeted with different effects. Morale is a significant factor in battles, but fatigue is not (the battles are too short for this to be particularly significant).

It will be very easy for anybody familiar with turn based games to pick up the combat system. The main addition is the differentiation between body parts and the ability to blow off limbs completely (ugh!).

I like your website, keep up the good work.

Julian Gollop

Fernando Rizo
I know that this is off-topic, but I'd love to hear your answer. It's widely known that one of your former publishers pushed Apocalypse out the door before Mythos had felt that it was finished. What other game elements had you been planning prior to the game going to press?

Yossarian

Apocalypse had a lot of elements in the original design which did not make it into the final game, largely because it would have made the game too unwieldy. I remember that you could programme very specific rules of engagement for all your vehicles using a vast table of options. You could also buy and sell buildings at auctions and exploit their commercial potential. The diplomacy system was much more complex, and you could also recruit spies to find out more about the corporations and their personnel.

Julian Gollop

Eivind Krokeide
Hello I was wondering how you would handle interceptions. Are we going to have a menu similar to X-com: Enemy Unknown, a battlescape like that in X-com: Apocalypse or something completely different? Also I believe that I read somewhere that troopers in combat will accumulate experience points which could then be used to improve their stats. Will the player be able to control which stats will improve or is that handled automatically by the computer?

Eivind Krokeide

Interceptions are going to be handled in a very different way to Xcom. There will be a turnbased vehicle combat system which allows the player to plot the movement and fire instructions for his interceptors. The action is then viewed for each turn in spectacular 3D with appropriate effects. With regards to your second question, the player can decide which stats to improve for each soldier. However, each soldier will have proficiencies in certain areas and deficiencies in others, so it is unlikely they will all end up the same.

Julian Gollop

Detritus
Hi,
I've got a question for you regarding Dreamland.
Dreamland is rumoured to have vehicles in the tactical section of the game. I read an interview in Edge magazine stating that they had seen Jeeps in the tactical game. Is this true? What other vehicles can we expect to see in the tactical game? Will we be able to jump into and drive tanks around, for example? Through a house? What about aerial vehicles in the tactical game, will one of my troops be able to pilot a helicopter, for example? Will the vehicles have unique handling characteristics, turning circles, acceleration, top-speed, momentum, that kind of thing? Will my troops require a "Drive" or a "Pilot" skill to operate the vehicles?

OK, that's lots of questions. Sorry about that. I'd better stop now before things get out of hand! ;)

Detritus

Originally it was envisaged that you would be able to drive vehicles around in tactical combat, but at the moment we have relegated this to the wish list. If we get time, and the physics engine is robust enough, then we can simulate vehicles quite well with all the characteristics that you mention. Vehicles are a rare commodity in the world of Dreamland, and there are not many around. Since most of the terrain is unsuitable for vehicles in any case, it would not affect the battles that much. A lot of the fighting will take place within alien vehicles or alien bases.

BTW Maximum Dreamland is a great website.

Julian Gollop

Lucian Wischik
Will Corporal Jonlan be in Dreamland? He was my favourite character from Laser Squad, along with Android Barker.

Lucian Wischik

Julian Gollop

Dillon Heffernan
Will there be Combat Air Support?
This has been debated at various fansites:
In one screen shot a trooper appears to be firing out of a helicopter, is this possible?
It has also questioned whether full air support (planes dropping napalm) will be available.

Dillweed

Julian Gollop